Greek Migration Minister Notis Mitarachi on Wednesday accused the Turkish coast guard of ignoring the emergency calls from a boat with migrants in the Aegean Sea
MOSCOW (Pakistan Point News / Sputnik - 02nd December, 2020) Greek Migration Minister Notis Mitarachi on Wednesday accused the Turkish coast guard of ignoring the emergency calls from a boat with migrants in the Aegean Sea.
The Greek coast guard managed to rescue 32 people, including three children after the dinghy overturned off the island of Lesbos. Two people have been declared missing.
"Those who allow it, in addition to violating the EU-Turkey Joint Declaration, are knowingly (unfortunately), putting human lives at great risk," Mitarachi wrote on Twitter, adding that "based on the testimonies of the rescued migrants, the Turkish coastguard vessel that located them initially (the migrants called an emergency number) did not help, or rescue them but allowed them instead to illegally cross the maritime borders of the European Union."
The minister called on the international community to act on such incidents accordingly.
"Additionally, NGOs encouraging these behaviors (unintentionally perhaps), need to realize their actual mission and immediately stop contributing to the loss of lives," Mitarachi added.
Greece's geographical proximity to Turkey has made it a prime destination for people fleeing conflict and poverty in the middle East, Africa and Asia. An EU deal with Ankara on migrant returns has somewhat reduced the number of arrivals, which fell to a record low this year due to the pandemic.
